Funnyman-theater reviewSeptember 22, 2015

L-R George Wendt, Tim Kazurinsky Photo: Michael Brosilow

George Wendt

TheaterSeptember 21, 2015 Funnyman by Betty Mohr Since the star of the show is George Wendt, I, as well as most of the audience, expected to laugh with the guy who played Norm on Cheers. But, the man at the center of Funnyman, playing at the Northlight Theatre, is not only a charming comic, but a consummate and serious actor who pulls us into the world of a man who has fallen on tough times and who is struggling for a second chance in his career and personal life. Wendt is so compelling in the role that, at first, one wonders if the drama is his personal story. There’s a good chance that Wendt may be personally familiar with some of the behind-the-scenes struggles in the play. But, as perceptively written by Bruce Graham, the world premiere closely mirrors the life of Bert Lahr (1895-1967), the great comic actor who played the Cowardly Lion in the The Wizard of Oz (1939). Set in 1959, the show begins with the character of Chick Sherman (Wendt) in a ridiculous flamboyant red get-up that in itself is laughable. But then we find out why Sherman, who used to be at the top of his game, is now relegated to surviving by doing commercials because other offers are not forthcoming.

L-R Rob Lindley, George Wendt

The action gets going when his agent Milt (always terrific Tim Kazurinsky) finally gets Sherman a part in an avant-garde Off-Broadway play. That’s similar to what happened to Lahr. After his iconic role in The Wizard of Oz, he wasn’t in great demand, and, for the most part, became a has-been. Then, in 1956, he received an offer to play Estragon in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, which ended up garnering him the greatest accolades of his career. It’s not a necessity, but familiarity with Waiting for Godot will enhance the humor of Funnyman. Godot centers on two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, who wait endlessly for the arrival of someone by the name of Godot.

There have been many, many interpretations of what the play is about, but when asked about the meaning of the work, Beckett (who was drunk at the time, and drunk most of the time) replied that he didn’t know: “If I knew, I would have said so in the play.” Of course, since the playwright didn’t know what he was writing, many theater pundits voted it the most important play of the 20th century. With that in mind, the most laughable moments in the show come as Sherman tries to understand his part in the new play. Like Lahr, who had no clue what Beckett’s play was about, Sherman also is confused. “There’s no point to it,” he says after he reads the script. “I don’t get the stuff.”

Bert Lahr-the Cowardly Lion-The Wizard of Oz

Sherman is from an era when drama made sense, had strong plots, convincing characters, and directors who learned their craft by directing. So when Sherman sees the young director (Michael Perez) in a turtleneck, he says derisively: “He probably went to Yale. I can always spot them.”

And instead of going into rehearsals, he finds that the director wants to talk about motivation, which he mocks: “If I scratch my ass, we have to have motivation.” For those of us who think that Theatre of the Absurd is absurd, Sherman’s responses to it are the funniest moments of the show.Funnyman, though, isn’t really about laughs. It turns out that Sherman has problems with his daughter, Katherine (Amanda Drinkall), who wants to know about the mother she never knew, the mother who passed away when she was a child. As the story deepens, we find out painful secrets from Sherman’s past that explain why he uses laughter to drown out his pain, and the emotional importance of his show-biz career. Directed with a subtle touch by B. J. Jones, Funnyman will bring tears to one’s eyes. Wendt is so wonderfully believable in the role of a man struggling with past and present demons, and who is so enraged at the world that has passed him by that we can’t help but get emotionally involved with his moving portrayal.